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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Very few times in my life have I been so utterly captivated by a book as I have been with The Casquette Girls. I fully felt immersed in the culture of the French Quarter of New Orleans to the point where I could easily envision myself walking the streets with Adele Le Moyne. Not to mention that Adele is by far one of my favorite characters to ever grace the pages of a book. Most authors choose to delve into the annoying trope of a teenage girl discovering she has magical powers and then adamantly refusing to believe in magic for over half the book. Alys Arden's characters though are not like that at all! Upon the revelation that Adele, indeed, can perform feats of magic, she whole-heartedly delves into understanding not only her powers, but her magical past as well. It was a joy to experience the thrall and magic of New Orleans with a character who embraces all the mystique of the city. I could not recommend this book more even if I tried! One cannot go wrong with reading The Casquette Girls!
I was very surprised by this book. I got it on Kindle Unlimited, and we all know those books can be hit or miss...mostly miss.
But it was an intriguing story that left you wanting more, with rich characters and it's beautifully written.
But it was an intriguing story that left you wanting more, with rich characters and it's beautifully written.
3.5 stars, rounded up
This book is very well written story of witches and vampires in New Orleans. I loved the setting. New Orleans is my favorite place in the world, and Alys Arden did an excellent job of bringing the city's history and folklore and magic to life. This book made me want to go back to New Orleans even more than I usually do!
However, this book got off to a very slow start. While I enjoyed reading the detailed descriptions of the characters and setting, they really slowed down the plot. Things kept happening that I knew would be significant later on in the book, but it took way too long for all the pieces to come together. This book is 560 pages, but I think the story could've easily been told in around 300 pages. The story didn't really start to pick up until Adele finds the diary of her ancestor Adeline and Part 2 begins (almost 2oo pages into the book). The flashbacks really added to the story, and I almost almost liked the scenes from Adeline's diary more than I liked the main story!
Adele could be a little ridiculous. She seems like a smart girl, but it took her way too long to figure out things that were super obvious, contributing to the book being slow and predictable. She would be like hmm...I wonder what this means? And I would think obviously it means this...and I would find out I was right like 100 pages later when Adele finally put it together or somebody told her. ALSO, how many love interests does this girl need?? I was not here for Adele's love rectangle (that almost teetered into a love pentagon if that's even a thing), when there is one obvious choice for her!
Despite these issues, I really enjoyed the book overall. Even though many of the major twists and reveals were predictable, I still think the story was well told, and I genuinely enjoyed the characters and their interactions. I will definitely be picking up the next books in this magical series because I want to know what happens next and I want to spend more time in this New Orleans! I don't usually write such long reviews, but I have such strong mixed feelings!
This book is very well written story of witches and vampires in New Orleans. I loved the setting. New Orleans is my favorite place in the world, and Alys Arden did an excellent job of bringing the city's history and folklore and magic to life. This book made me want to go back to New Orleans even more than I usually do!
However, this book got off to a very slow start. While I enjoyed reading the detailed descriptions of the characters and setting, they really slowed down the plot. Things kept happening that I knew would be significant later on in the book, but it took way too long for all the pieces to come together. This book is 560 pages, but I think the story could've easily been told in around 300 pages. The story didn't really start to pick up until Adele finds the diary of her ancestor Adeline and Part 2 begins (almost 2oo pages into the book). The flashbacks really added to the story, and I almost almost liked the scenes from Adeline's diary more than I liked the main story!
Adele could be a little ridiculous. She seems like a smart girl, but it took her way too long to figure out things that were super obvious, contributing to the book being slow and predictable. She would be like hmm...I wonder what this means? And I would think obviously it means this...and I would find out I was right like 100 pages later when Adele finally put it together or somebody told her. ALSO, how many love interests does this girl need?? I was not here for Adele's love rectangle (that almost teetered into a love pentagon if that's even a thing), when there is one obvious choice for her!
Spoiler
It's not Nicco. I don't get her obsession with him.Despite these issues, I really enjoyed the book overall. Even though many of the major twists and reveals were predictable, I still think the story was well told, and I genuinely enjoyed the characters and their interactions. I will definitely be picking up the next books in this magical series because I want to know what happens next and I want to spend more time in this New Orleans! I don't usually write such long reviews, but I have such strong mixed feelings!
Uhhhh.... yes! This looks/ sounds amazing. I just may buy it
I loved it so much! I was invested in Adele from the very beginning, and found myself engrossed in the story as it slowly unravelled. I've never been to New Orleans but this made me feel its energy from all the way from the desert of Western Australia. The Casquette Girls has it all...witches...vampires...legends and lore. This book is excellent and I can't wait to get my hands on the next two books.
Quite possibly the best vampire book I've ever read...
I was intrigued when I seen the cover of this book, because I remembered a episode of The Originals, that was called The Casket Girls. The show kind of put their own spin on it. A casquette girl, originally known as a fille à la cassette (girl with a cassette) but also known historically as a casket girl.
This is a very good version of the legend:
In the early 1700s, the Catholic church sent a faction of nuns to the Louisiana Territory. The Ursuline order was the first group of nuns to set up in what is now the United States. Louisiana was still “the wild west” around this time, loaded with seedy characters. In the hopes of making Louisiana a more desirable place to live, the French government sent over some young ladies to be wives for the plantation owners and bring a sense of civility and culture to the New World. They would stay with the nuns until suitable matches could be made.
The women coming over from France were supposed to be society women of marriageable age. While some of them likely were, history seems to suggest that the majority of the casket girls were orphans and prostitutes. The men they were being sent to weren’t exactly as advertised, either. Some were criminals and “blue-collar” workers. The women were often beaten and raped. Many returned to France when things turned out to be a little too rustic for them.
The casket girls were so-named because they came with trousseaus (clothing, linens, and other things they would need to start a marriage) packed in cases that looked like caskets. The journey to the New World often took five months, so when the girls arrived, they were often pale, weak, and gaunt. Rumors began to circulate that these girls were vampires - or were vampire smugglers.
It would seem that most of the casket girls couldn’t cut it in Louisiana and went back home to France. Most left their trousseaus behind, in the third floor attic of the nunnery. The attic was shuttered tight, but reports would claim that the shutters would fly open suddenly and randomly, no matter how many times they were nailed shut. Some people would say that, when the shutters were open, the vampires were roaming the city. When the sealed trousseaus were finally opened, they were discovered to be empty.
- See more at: http://www.fearnet.com/news/news-article/were-new-orleans-casket-girls-vampire-smugglers#sthash.4H88ht7P.dpuf
The history and the legends in this book are amazing, you can really feel how much she (the author) loves this city. There is a lot of french words scattered throughout the book, which threw me off sometimes because I don't know to much French, maybe a phrase or two, but it doesn't take anything away from the story.
It felt like it took me forever to read this, mostly because it's a long story, over 500 pages. In this book the vampires are charming but evil; you like them but you know you shouldn't, which is the way it should be. The main character, Adele is refreshing, honest and confused, I could not help but like her. This story has romance but no sex, so OK for teens. It has such an interesting story line that it's acceptable for all ages.
If you are intrigued about New Orleans legends and what you see on "The Originals" TV show, then you will likely enjoy this book.
I was intrigued when I seen the cover of this book, because I remembered a episode of The Originals, that was called The Casket Girls. The show kind of put their own spin on it. A casquette girl, originally known as a fille à la cassette (girl with a cassette) but also known historically as a casket girl.
This is a very good version of the legend:
In the early 1700s, the Catholic church sent a faction of nuns to the Louisiana Territory. The Ursuline order was the first group of nuns to set up in what is now the United States. Louisiana was still “the wild west” around this time, loaded with seedy characters. In the hopes of making Louisiana a more desirable place to live, the French government sent over some young ladies to be wives for the plantation owners and bring a sense of civility and culture to the New World. They would stay with the nuns until suitable matches could be made.
The women coming over from France were supposed to be society women of marriageable age. While some of them likely were, history seems to suggest that the majority of the casket girls were orphans and prostitutes. The men they were being sent to weren’t exactly as advertised, either. Some were criminals and “blue-collar” workers. The women were often beaten and raped. Many returned to France when things turned out to be a little too rustic for them.
The casket girls were so-named because they came with trousseaus (clothing, linens, and other things they would need to start a marriage) packed in cases that looked like caskets. The journey to the New World often took five months, so when the girls arrived, they were often pale, weak, and gaunt. Rumors began to circulate that these girls were vampires - or were vampire smugglers.
It would seem that most of the casket girls couldn’t cut it in Louisiana and went back home to France. Most left their trousseaus behind, in the third floor attic of the nunnery. The attic was shuttered tight, but reports would claim that the shutters would fly open suddenly and randomly, no matter how many times they were nailed shut. Some people would say that, when the shutters were open, the vampires were roaming the city. When the sealed trousseaus were finally opened, they were discovered to be empty.
- See more at: http://www.fearnet.com/news/news-article/were-new-orleans-casket-girls-vampire-smugglers#sthash.4H88ht7P.dpuf
The history and the legends in this book are amazing, you can really feel how much she (the author) loves this city. There is a lot of french words scattered throughout the book, which threw me off sometimes because I don't know to much French, maybe a phrase or two, but it doesn't take anything away from the story.
It felt like it took me forever to read this, mostly because it's a long story, over 500 pages. In this book the vampires are charming but evil; you like them but you know you shouldn't, which is the way it should be. The main character, Adele is refreshing, honest and confused, I could not help but like her. This story has romance but no sex, so OK for teens. It has such an interesting story line that it's acceptable for all ages.
If you are intrigued about New Orleans legends and what you see on "The Originals" TV show, then you will likely enjoy this book.
As someone who loves New Orleans and considers it my second home, I adored every single word, letter and punctuation mark in this book. I am fortunate to know many of the places Ms. Arden describes within these pages. She has written a love letter and song to the city and its residents, past...present...and future. I could see, smell, hear and taste the City on every page. I hope I will soon run into Adele, Isaac, Desiree, Blanche and Ren in the near future. The only thing that could have improved this book for me was a lavishly illustrated edition that came with Desiree's elixir for making sure the story never ended. Thank you, Ms. Arden for this wonderful story.
Phenomenal! One of my favorites of the year...can't wait for the second!
Find full review at The Bohemian Bookworm
Find full review at The Bohemian Bookworm
For a 560 page book, I feel like this went by pretty quickly, and that is probably because it was incredibly well-written, with a great character, voice and setting. Casquette Girls takes place New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Adele and her father return two months later to find a shell of their beloved city.
Arden did an amazing job of world-building here. She captured all of the community, and weirdness, and difficulty of NOLA in the wake of the hurricane. You could tell, like Adele, the author really loves this city, and it was a great setting for an urban fantasy story. Only the true New Orleaners are occupying NOLA in this sort of post-apocalyptic devastation.
"That's when I discovered a really good laugh could change everything."
As the story unfolds, strange things keep happening to Adele, like the scary crow who slashed her face and keeps appearing in odd places, a series of unsolved murders in the city, and Adele's newly awakened ability to move things with her mind. Then she finds the diary of her ancestor, capturing her unusual journey from Paris to La Nouvelle-Orleans.
Adeline's journal entries are equally well-crafted, slowly revealing new information and capturing the history of how New Orleans was settled. The casquette girls were real. They were young women sent from orphanages to supply wives to the new settlers. Arden's work in developing this world and history only makes New Orleans more fascinating. I want to know more.
This would have hands down been a 5-star favorite book for me if not for....duh duh duh...LOVE TRIANGLE. There are so many attractive males in here that are fascinated by Adele, I had trouble keeping track of who was whom.
I mean, could it have been any more Twilight? She has to choose between a vampire and shapeshifter?
"I knew that every part of him wanted me. Wanted to protect me."
And gals, let's be clear. YOU DO NOT OWE A MAN AN APOLOGY FOR TELLING HIM TO GO AWAY BECAUSE HE'S STALKING YOU. If that is all you take from this review, then I have done something good in the world today.
Despite my complaints, as this all came together in the end, I had several, "Oh my gosh! I didn't see that coming," moments. There is definitely more mystery and drama to come in the sequels and I am 100% here for it!
Arden did an amazing job of world-building here. She captured all of the community, and weirdness, and difficulty of NOLA in the wake of the hurricane. You could tell, like Adele, the author really loves this city, and it was a great setting for an urban fantasy story. Only the true New Orleaners are occupying NOLA in this sort of post-apocalyptic devastation.
"That's when I discovered a really good laugh could change everything."
As the story unfolds, strange things keep happening to Adele, like the scary crow who slashed her face and keeps appearing in odd places, a series of unsolved murders in the city, and Adele's newly awakened ability to move things with her mind. Then she finds the diary of her ancestor, capturing her unusual journey from Paris to La Nouvelle-Orleans.
Adeline's journal entries are equally well-crafted, slowly revealing new information and capturing the history of how New Orleans was settled. The casquette girls were real. They were young women sent from orphanages to supply wives to the new settlers. Arden's work in developing this world and history only makes New Orleans more fascinating. I want to know more.
This would have hands down been a 5-star favorite book for me if not for....duh duh duh...LOVE TRIANGLE. There are so many attractive males in here that are fascinated by Adele, I had trouble keeping track of who was whom.
"I knew that every part of him wanted me. Wanted to protect me."
And gals, let's be clear. YOU DO NOT OWE A MAN AN APOLOGY FOR TELLING HIM TO GO AWAY BECAUSE HE'S STALKING YOU. If that is all you take from this review, then I have done something good in the world today.
Despite my complaints, as this all came together in the end, I had several, "Oh my gosh! I didn't see that coming," moments. There is definitely more mystery and drama to come in the sequels and I am 100% here for it!